Display device and method for manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

A display device having a base substrate provided with light-emitting devices and terminal electrodes connected thereto; a sealing substrate disposed to face the base substrate; a first resin material between the base substrate and the sealing substrate so as to surround a first region in which the light-emitting devices are provided; and a second resin material between the base substrate and the sealing substrate and is filled in the first region surrounded by the first resin material so as to seal the light-emitting devices.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12,860,098, filed Aug. 20, 2010, which is a division of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/355,636, filed Feb. 15, 2006, issued on Oct. 5,2010, as U.S. Pat. No. 7,806,743, the entirety of which is incorporatedherein by reference to the extent permitted by law. The presentapplication claims the benefit of priority to Japanese PatentApplication No. 2005-048224, filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Feb.24, 2005, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein tothe extent permitted by law.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to display devices, and more particularly,relates to a display device including a substrate provided withlight-emitting devices and a sealing substrate which is adhered to thesubstrate and to a method for manufacturing the display device.

2. Description of the Related Art

As a next-generation display device, a display device using organicelectroluminescent devices has drawn attention. This display device hasthe following various features: the viewing angle is wide sinceself-luminous organic electroluminescent devices are used, energy savingmay be obtained since a backlight is not necessary, the responsibilityis high, the thickness of the device itself may be decreased, and thelike. In addition, when this display device uses a plastic substrate asa substrate on which organic electroluminescent devices are provided, aflexible display device can be realized using inherent flexibleproperties of an organic material forming light-emitting devices.

Since having very inferior moisture resistance, the organicelectroluminescent device of the display device described above isliable to be degraded by moisture present in the air, and as a result,problems may arise in that areas (dark spots) are generated which do notemit light, the brightness is decreased, and the like. Hence, a sealingtechnique has been necessary in most cases in order to prevent the entryof moisture into a display region in which the organicelectroluminescent devices are provided.

Accordingly, for example, a complete solid sealing structure in whichorganic electroluminescent devices are sealed in a resin material hasbeen proposed, the structure being formed by the steps of applying theresin material used as an adhesive onto a base substrate so as to coverthe organic electroluminescent devices provided thereon, and thenadhering a sealing substrate to the base substrate with the above resinmaterial provide therebetween. In the structure described above, nospaces that may allow the entry of moisture are present between theabove two substrates that enclose the organic electroluminescentdevices, and as a result, the problems described above can beeffectively prevented.

In addition, as a method for manufacturing a display device having thecomplete solid sealing structure described above, a method has beenproposed which has the steps of applying an adhesive for displaydevices, which is formed using a photocurable composition, on one majorsurface of a sealing substrate, irradiating light to this adhesive foractivation, and then adhering a base substrate to the sealing substratewith the adhesive provided therebetween while the light is beingblocked. According to this method, while organic electroluminescentdevices formed at the base substrate side are prevented from degradationwhich is caused by exposure to the light, the organic electroluminescentdevices can be sealed in the adhesive (see Japanese Unexamined PatentApplication Publication No. 2004-231957).

In manufacturing a display device having the complete solid sealingstructure as described above, when an adhesive resin before curing flowsand adheres onto terminals (terminal electrodes) for external connectionextending from the organic electroluminescent devices, the connectionbetween the display device and an external device with the terminalelectrodes provided therebetween becomes unstable. Hence, in themanufacturing process described above, while the terminal electrodes arecovered with a masking tape, the sequential steps described above havebeen carried out. As a result, the adhesion of the adhesive resin ontothe terminal electrodes is prevented.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In manufacturing a display device, a plurality of display deviceportions may be formed in an array on a base substrate. In this case, ina step of adhering the base substrate to the sealing substrate, terminalelectrodes and a masking tape covering them are provided between thebase substrate and the sealing substrate.

Hence, the distance between the sealing substrate and the base substratedepends on the thickness of the masking tape and is set to a value morethan the thickness thereof. The masking tape has a relatively largethickness, such as approximately 20 to 40 μm, the distance between thesealing substrate and the base substrate is not decreased smaller thanthe above thickness, and as a result, a resin material (adhesive) is tobe filled into the wide space between the two substrates. This situationprevents further decrease in thickness of display devices.

In addition, in a display device in which light is emitted from thesealing substrate side, since the length of the resin material throughwhich the light passes is increased, for example, color shift may occurat a wide viewing angle.

Accordingly, it is desirable to have a method for manufacturing athinner display device, the manufacturing method being capable ofsealing organic electroluminescent devices in a resin material providedbetween a base substrate and a sealing substrate while preventing thespread of the resin material into the terminal electrodes region withouta masking tape.

A method for manufacturing a display device, according to an embodimentof the present invention, is a method in which a base substrate providedwith light-emitting devices and terminal electrodes connected thereto isadhered to a sealing substrate which is disposed to face the basesubstrate with a resin material provided between the above twosubstrates so as to seal the light-emitting devices in the resinmaterial, and in this method, the following steps are sequentiallyperformed.

In a first step, on at least one of the base substrate and the sealingsubstrate, a first resin material is formed. When being formed on thebase substrate, the first resin material is provided to surround aregion in which the light-emitting devices are provided. On the otherhand, when being formed on the sealing substrate, the first resinmaterial is provided to surround a region corresponding to the region atthe base substrate side in which the light-emitting devices areprovided.

In a second step, a second resin material is applied in the regionsurrounded by the first resin material. Subsequently, in a third step,polymerization of at least one of the first resin material and thesecond resin material is initiated. Next, in a subsequent fourth step,the base substrate and the sealing substrate are adhered to each otherwith the first resin material and the second resin material providedtherebetween. Then, in a fifth step, the polymerization of the firstresin material and that of the second resin material are promoted, sothat curing is performed.

In the manufacturing method described above, since the second resinmaterial is applied in the region surrounded by the first resinmaterial, the second resin material is prevented from flowing into theregion located outside the first resin material, and hence theapplication of the resin material is restricted in the region surroundedby the first resin material. Hence, the terminal electrodes disposedoutside the region surrounded by the first resin material are preventedfrom being brought into contact with the resin material. Accordingly, itbecomes not necessary to cover the terminal electrodes with a maskingtape, and as a result, as compared to the case in which a masking tapeis used, the distance between the base substrate and the sealingsubstrate can be decreased.

In addition, a display device according to an embodiment of the presentinvention is a display device manufactured by the above manufacturingmethod.

According to the embodiments of the present invention described above,since the light-emitting devices may be sealed in the resin materialprovided between the base substrate and the sealing substrate while thespread of the resin material into the terminal electrodes is preventedwithout a masking tape, the distance between the base substrate and thesealing substrate can be decreased, and hence the thickness of thedisplay device can be further decreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1D are each a cross-sectional view of a display device inprocess for illustrating a manufacturing method according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are views for illustrating a method for measuring anadhesive strength;

FIGS. 3A to 3D are cross-sectional views of a display device in processfor illustrating a manufacturing method according to the firstembodiment and other embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A to 4D are each a cross-sectional view of a display device inprocess for illustrating a manufacturing method according to a secondembodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 5A to 5D are each a cross-sectional view of a display device inprocess for illustrating a manufacturing method according to a thirdembodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be describedwith reference to accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments,with reference to a display device having a substrate and light-emittingdevices formed in an array thereon, a method for manufacturing a displaydevice and a display device manufactured by the above method aredescribed in that order.

First Embodiment

FIGS. 1A to 1D are each a cross-sectional view of a display device inprocess for illustrating a manufacturing method according to thisembodiment, and the display device is manufactured as described below.

First, as shown in FIG. 1A, a base substrate 1 is prepared. This basesubstrate 1 may be formed of a glass material such as a non-alkalineglass and may also be formed, for example, of a plastic material or afilm material partly including polycarbonate, polyester, poly(ethersulfone), polyimide, or the like. In addition, on one major surface ofthe base substrate 1, a plurality of device portions C is provided. In adisplay region a which is located at the center of each device portion Con the base substrate 1, organic electroluminescent devices 3 arearranged in a matrix, which are connected to respective drive circuitsnot shown in the figure. In addition, terminal electrodes 5 connected tothe respective organic electroluminescent devices 3 are formed in aperipheral region b located outside the display region a. In the casedescribed above, for example, the structure is formed such that theorganic electroluminescent devices 3 are elements emitting red light,elements emitting green color, and elements emitting blue color, whichare arranged in a predetermined state.

In this embodiment, light generated from the organic electroluminescentdevice 3 is emitted at the side opposite to the base substrate 1, andfor example, the structure is as follows. That is, on the base substrate1, a first electrode having a reflection function, an organic layercontaining a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode made of asemitransparent material are laminated in that order.

Among the above layers, the first electrode having a reflection functionis used, for example, as an anode and is formed of a metal such asplatinum (Pt), gold (Au), silver (Ag), chromium (Cr), or tungsten (W) oran alloy thereof.

In addition, the organic layer containing a light-emitting layer has athickness which is specifically determined by light color generated fromthe organic electroluminescent device and is formed of a hole transportlayer, the light-emitting layer, and an electron transport layerlaminated in that order from the first electrode side. The holetransport layer is a layer increasing a hole injection efficiency forthe light-emitting layer. The light-emitting layer is a layer generatinglight by recombination of electrons and holes that occurs when anelectric field is applied. The electron transport layer is a layerincreasing an electron injection efficiency for the light-emittinglayer. As a material forming the hole transport layer, for example,bis[(N-naphthyl)-N-phenyl]benzidine (α-NPD) may be mentioned. Inaddition, depending on light colors generated from the light-emittinglayers, materials therefor are different from each other, and forexample, for a red organic electroluminescent device, a mixture of an8-quinolinol aluminum complex (Alq₃) and4-dicyanomethylene-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-2-methyl-4H-pyran (DCM) ina volume ratio of 1 to 2 may be used. For a green organicelectroluminescent device, for example, an 8-quinolinol aluminum complex(Alq₃) may be used. For a blue organic electroluminescent device, forexample, bathocuproin (BCP) may be used. In addition, as a materialforming the electron transport layer, for example, 8-quinolinol aluminumcomplex (Alq₃) may be mentioned.

In addition, the second electrode made of a semitransparent material isa semitransparent electrode having semi-transparency to light generatedfrom the light-emitting layer and is used as a cathode. This secondelectrode is formed, for example, of an alloy of magnesium and silver.The semitransparent electrode is an electrode reflecting light generatedfrom the light-emitting layer between the anode and the cathode. Thatis, by using the semitransparent electrode, light generated from thelight-emitting layer is allowed to resonate by the semitransparentelectrode and the anode, so that the multiple beam interference of lightgenerated from the light-emitting layer occurs. Accordingly, thehalf-band width of a spectrum of emission light is decreased, and as aresult, the color purity can be improved. In addition, exterior lightincident through a sealing substrate can also be attenuated by themultiple beam interference.

Accordingly, the organic electroluminescent device 3 is configured sothat the light generated from the light-emitting layer is emitted fromthe cathode side which is opposite to the base substrate 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, a first resin material 11 is formed on thebase substrate 1 at the side on which the organic electroluminescentdevices 3 are provided so as to surround one of the display regions a inwhich the organic electroluminescent devices are provided and so as todispose the peripheral region b in which the terminal electrodes 5 areprovided outside the first resin material 11. In this case, the firstresin material 11 is formed, for example, by application using adispenser so as to surround the entire periphery of the display regiona. In this step, the width of the first resin material 11 formed byapplication is set to 30 to 500 μm and preferably is set to 30 to 300μm. In addition, the height of the first resin material 11 formed byapplication is set to approximately 10 to 50 μm and is preferably set to10 to 30 μm.

The first resin material 11 is formed using a UV curable resin havingslow curing properties (hereinafter referred to as “slow-curing resin”).The slow-curing resin is a resin that maintains its fluidity even afterbeing irradiated with UV rays and is then fully cured after apredetermined time passes, and in order to further improve the adhesivestrength, a heating step may be required after the UV irradiation insome cases.

The slow-curing resin is formed of (1) a photo-cationic polymerizablecompound, (2) a photo-cationic polymerization initiator and (3) a curecontrol compound.

Among the compounds mentioned above, as the photo-cationic polymerizablecompound (1), a compound containing at least one photo-cationicpolymerizable functional group in one molecule may be used, and as thefunctional group, for example, an epoxy, oxetane, hydroxyl, vinyl ether,episulfide, or ethyleneimine group may be mentioned. Among thesementioned above, a compound having at least one epoxy group in onemolecule is preferably used. As the compound having an epoxy group, forexample, there may be mentioned a bisphenol type epoxy resin such as abisphenol A type epoxy resin or a bisphenol F type epoxy resin, or anepoxy resin having two functionalities or more, such as a phenol novolactype epoxy resin, a cresol novolac type epoxy resin, a glycidyl ethertype epoxy resin, or a glycidyl amine type epoxy resin. As acommercially available epoxy resin, for example, “Epicoat 828”, “Epicoat1001”, or “Epicoat 1002” (which are all manufactured by Japan EpoxyResin Co., Ltd.) may be mentioned.

In addition, as the photo-cationic polymerization initiator (2), eitheran ionic compound or a non-ionic compound may be used. As the ioniccompound, for example, there may be mentioned onium salts, such as anaromatic diazonium salt, aromatic halonium salt, and aromatic sulfoniumsalt, and organic metal complexes such as an iron-allene complex,titanocene complex, and arylsilanol-aluminum complex. Thesephoto-cationic polymerization initiators may be used alone or incombination. In addition, as a pairing anion of the above ioniccompound, for example, an anion containing boron, phosphorus, arsenic orantimony may be used, and in particular, an anion containing boron orphosphorus is preferably used. As a commercially available material, forexample, “Adeca optomer SP150”, “Adeca optomer SP170” (both of which aremanufactured by Asahi Denka Co., Ltd.), “UVE-1014” (manufactured byGeneral Electric Co., Ltd), or “Photoinitiator 2074” (manufactured byRhodia Inc.) may be mentioned. As the non-ionic compound, for example,nitrobenzyl esters, sulfonic acid derivatives, phosphates, phenolsulfonates, and diazonaphtoquinone may be mentioned. The photo-cationicpolymerization initiator preferably has a molecular weight of 400 ormore and absorbs light having a wavelength of 300 nm or more and morepreferably absorbs light having a wavelength of 300 to 400 nm.

In addition, as the cure control compound (3), any material may be usedas long as it has an ether bond, and for example, there may be mentioneda crown ether or a poly(alkylene oxide) such as polyethylene glycol,polypropylene glycol, or poly(oxytetramethylene)glycol. These curecontrol compounds mentioned above may be used alone or in combination.The terminal of the above poly(alkylene oxide) is not particularlylimited, and it may be a hydroxyl group, may be etherified or esterifiedby another compound, or may be a functional group such as an epoxygroup. Among those mentioned above, a hydroxyl group or an epoxy groupis preferably used since being allowed to react with the photo-cationicpolymerizable compound described above. In addition, as the abovepoly(alkylene oxide), a poly(alkylene oxide) adduct of a bisphenol Aderivative is preferably used, and in particular, a compound having ahydroxyl group or an epoxy group as the terminal is also preferablyused. The cure control compound preferably has at least two polyethyleneglycol and/or polypropylene glycol units in one molecule. As acommercially available cure control compound having at least twopolyethylene glycol units in one molecule, for example, “RikaresinBEO-60E” and “Rikaresin EO-20” (both of which are manufactured by NewJapan Chemical Co., Ltd.) may be mentioned. In addition, as acommercially available cure control compound having at least twopolypropylene glycol units in one molecule, for example, “RikaresinBPO-20E” and “Rikaresin PO-20” (both of which are manufactured by NewJapan Chemical Co., Ltd.) may be mentioned. As the above crown ether,for example, 12-crown-4, 15-crown-5, 18-crown-6 may be mentioned by wayof example.

In addition, in the slow-curing resin containing the compounds (1) to(3), relative to 100 parts by weight of the photo-cationic polymerizablecompound (1), the amount of the photo-cationic polymerization initiator(2) is set to 0.1 to 10 parts by weight, and the amount of the curecontrol compound (3) is set to 0.3 to 20 parts by weight. Predeterminedamounts of the compounds described above are mixed together at roomtemperature or by heating using a mixer such as a homodisper, homomixer,universal mixer, planetary mixer, kneader, three-roll mixer, or thelike, so that a desired slow-curing resin can be prepared.

In addition, an inorganic filler may be contained in the aboveslow-curing resin in order to improve the moisture permeability. As theinorganic fillers, for example, there may be mentioned carbonates andhydrogen carbonates of alkaline metals or alkaline earth metals, such ascalcium carbonate, calcium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate andsodium hydrogen carbonate; inorganic powders such as colloidal silica,talc, clay, and titanium oxide: inorganic hollow materials such as glassballoons, alumina balloons, and ceramic balloons; and inorganic fiberssuch as glass fibers. These inorganic fillers may be used alone or incombination. In addition, organic spherical materials such as nylonbeads and acrylic beads; organic hollow materials such as acrylicballoons; and monofilaments made of polyester, rayon, and nylon may alsobe contained.

Furthermore, a moisture absorber may also be contained in theslow-curing resin in order to prevent the entry of moisture. As themoisture absorbers, for example, alkaline earth metal oxides such assilica gel, molecular sieve, calcium oxide, barium oxide, and strontiumoxide may be mentioned.

In addition, in the slow-curing resin, various additives such as anadhesion improver, reinforcing agent, softener, plasticizer, viscositycontroller, and sensitizer may also be contained.

The first resin material 11 using the above slow-curing resin maycontain spacers for controlling the height of the first resin material11 obtained by application.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, a second resin material 13 is applied in thedisplay region a surrounded by the first resin material 11.

In this step, by using a dispenser or the like, it is preferable thatthe second resin material 13 be applied to one point in the displayregion a surrounded by the first resin material 11, or it is preferablethat depending on the shape of the display region a, the second resinmaterial be applied to several points in the display region a or beapplied to draw linear lines in combination with wavy lines therein sothat air bubbles are not allowed to remain after a subsequent step inwhich the base substrate is adhered to the sealing substrate.

In addition, as the second resin material 13, for example, a UV curableresin or a thermosetting resin may be used having an adhesion functionand having a transmission factor of 80% or more after the resin iscured. As the resin material having the adhesion function describedabove, for example, an epoxy resin or an acrylic resin may be used, andin particular, a material is preferably used having a tensile adhesionstrength of 1 MPa or more or a tensile shear adhesion strength of 1 MPaor more after the material is cured. When chemical reaction with thefirst resin material 11 is taken into consideration, the second resinmaterial 13 is preferably formed using a resin material that containscomponents similar to resin components of the first resin material 11.In addition, when a transmission factor of 80% or more can be maintainedafter the curing, various additives such as an inorganic filler,spacers, adhesion improver, reinforcing agent, softener, plasticizer,and viscosity controller may be used.

The measurement of the tensile adhesion strength is performed as shownin FIG. 2A in which two non-alkaline glass substrates for displaypurpose (trade name: AN 100 manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) 101and 102 are used. In this measurement, the rectangular-shaped glasssubstrates 101 and 102 are disposed so as to intersect each other, and aresin 103 for measurement is provided between the above glasssubstrates. In this step, the resin 103 is provided for measurement soas to form a cylindrical shape having a diameter of 2 mm and a height of200 μm, and the circular portions thereof are adhered to the glasssubstrates. The resin 103 provided between the two glass substrates 101and 102 is fully cured by heating or by UV irradiation. Subsequently,while the glass substrate 101 is fixed, a strength (force) N1, whichwill not break the glass substrates 101 and 102, is applied at roomtemperature to the other glass substrate 102 in a directionperpendicular to the substrate surface thereof so as to separate theglass substrates 102 from the glass substrate 101. Subsequently, thestrength N1 obtained at which the resin material is destroyed isregarded as the tensile adhesion strength.

In addition, the measurement of the tensile shear adhesion strength isperformed as shown in FIG. 2B. That is, after a resin for measurementprovided between the two glass substrates 101 and 102 is fully cured ina manner similar to that described above, while the glass substrate 101is being fixed, a strength (force) N2, which will not break the glasssubstrates 101 and 102, is applied at room temperature to the otherglass substrate 102 in a direction parallel to the surface thereof.Subsequently, the strength N2 obtained at which the resin material isdestroyed is regarded as the tensile shear adhesion strength.

Next, although not shown in the figure, in a region of an end portion ofthe base substrate 1 other than the display region a and the peripheralregion b, that is, in a region which is to be discarded by cutting orthe like at the final stage, a UV curable resin (temporary adhesiveresin), which will be described below, is applied so as to temporarilyadhere between the sealing substrate and the base substrate 1. In thisstep, for example, the temporary adhesive resin is applied to two pointslocated on the diagonal line. As the temporary adhesive resin, a resinmaterial similar to that for the first resin material 11 or the secondresin material 13 may be used.

In addition, the formation of the first resin material 11, the secondresin material 13, and the temporary adhesive resin is preferablyperformed in an inert gas atmosphere. However, when these formationsteps are performed within a short period of time after the organiclayer is formed for the organic electroluminescent devices, theformation may be performed in the air.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 1D, only the first resin material 11 isirradiated with UV rays h. By this irradiation, polymerization of thefirst resin material 11 formed of the UV curable resin having slowcuring properties (slow-curing resin) is initiated. In this step, theamount of the UV rays h may not be an amount required for fully curingthe resin forming the first resin material 11, and the total amount ofthe UV rays h and UV rays, which will be irradiated after the sealingsubstrate is adhered to the base substrate, may reach the above requiredamount.

In addition, it is also important to adjust the amount of the UV rays hso as not to fully cure the first resin material before a subsequentadhesion step is performed. The degree of cure of the slow-curing resinforming the first resin material 11 may be measured using a vibratingneedle curemeter (for example, manufactured by RAPRA Technology Ltd).When this measurement device is used, the start of amplitude attenuationis regarded as a cure degree of 0%, and the end of the attenuation isregarded as a cure degree of 100%. In addition, right before theadhesion step, the degree of cure of the first resin material 11 ispreferably maintained to 70% or less.

The irradiation of the UV rays h to the first resin material 11described above may be performed before the application of the secondresin material 13 which was described with reference to FIG. 1C.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, a sealing substrate 15 is prepared which isdisposed to face the base substrate 1. This sealing substrate 15 may beformed of a glass material such as a non-alkaline glass and may also beformed of a plastic material or a film material partly includingpolycarbonate, polyester, poly(ether sulfone), polyimide, or the like.In addition, corresponding to the organic electroluminescent devicesformed on the base substrate 1, color filters which are not shown in thefigure, that is, red color filters, green color filters, and blue colorfilters are provided on the sealing substrate 15, and a black matrix isalso provided thereon. Accordingly, light generated from the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 is emitted through the color filters, andin addition, exterior light reflected at the organic electroluminescentdevices and the like is absorbed, so that the contrast is improved.These color filters are disposed so as to face the respective organicelectroluminescent devices 3.

Next, the surface of the base substrate 1 on which the first resinmaterials 11 and the second resin materials 13 are formed and thesurface of the sealing substrate 15 (or opposite surface thereto) onwhich the color filters are formed are disposed to face each other. Inthis step, when the surface on which the color filters are formed isdisposed to face the base substrate 1 side, the color filters can beprotected since being not exposed to the exterior.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the base substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15are adhered to each other with the first resin material 11 and thesecond resin material 13 provided therebetween. By this step, theorganic electroluminescent devices 3 are sealed in the second resinmaterial 13. This adhesion step is performed in a reduced-pressureatmosphere of approximately 1 to 100 Pa before the first resin material11 and the second resin material 13 are fully cured. By the stepdescribed above, the second resin material 13 is preferably filledbetween the base substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15 so as not toform air bubbles. In addition, in this step, the temporary adhesiveresin described above is provided between the base substrate 1 and thesealing substrate 15.

In addition, in the step described above, whenever necessary, thesealing substrate 15 is uniformly pressed onto the base substrate 1, sothat the first resin material 11 and the second resin material 13, whichare provided between the base substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15,are uniformly formed to have a predetermined thickness. In the casedescribed above, the thickness of the first resin material 11 and thatof the second resin material 13 between the base substrate 1 and thesealing substrate 15 are set to 25 μm or less even at the thickest partand are preferably set to 20 μm or less. In addition, as long asconcavo-convex portions such as electrodes formed on the base substrate1 are not brought into contact with concavo-convex portions such ascolor filters formed on the sealing substrate 15, the thickness of thefirst resin material 11 and that of the second resin material 13 arepreferably decreased as small as possible.

Furthermore, before the first resin material 11 and the second resinmaterial 13 are cured, the base substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15are moved while being adhered to each other so that the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 are positioned at predetermined places withrespect to the color filters. In this step, the base substrate 1 ispositioned at a predetermined place with respect to the sealingsubstrate 15 using alignment marks which are formed beforehand.

Subsequently, after this positioning, the temporary adhesive resinapplied to the end portion of the base substrate 1 is irradiated with UVrays for curing, so that the substrate is not displaced from thepredetermined place.

The above positioning and the irradiation of UV rays to the temporaryadhesive resin may be performed either in the air or in an inert gasatmosphere.

After the steps described above, as shown in FIG. 3C, polymerization ofthe first resin material 11 and that of the second resin material 13 arepromoted so as to complete the curing. The step described above isperformed in the air or in an inert gas atmosphere. In this step, forexample, the first resin material 11 and the second resin material 13are fully cured by irradiation thereof with UV rays, followed by heatingat a constant temperature of 100° C. or less. Alternatively, dependingon materials forming the first resin material 11 and the second resinmaterial 13, curing may be performed only by irradiation of UV rays oronly by heating.

In addition, in the step described above, when the first resin material11 is irradiated with UV rays, irradiation may be performed so that thetotal amount of the UV rays in this step and the UV rays irradiated tothe first resin material 11 in the step described with reference to FIG.1D reaches an amount of UV rays required for fully curing the firstresin material 11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, the base substrate 1 and the sealingsubstrate 15 which are tightly adhered to each other with the fullycured first resin material 11 and the second resin material 13 are cutinto sections each containing the display region a and the peripheralregion b. In this step, grooves are formed in the base substrate 1 andthe sealing substrate 15 using a glass scriber, and impact is applied bya glass breaker to the grooves thus formed so that cracks are grown fromthe grooves, thereby cutting unnecessary parts of the base substrate 1and the sealing substrate 15 by cutting. As a result, display devices 17each having the display region a and the peripheral region b areobtained.

The display devices 17 thus formed are each composed of the basesubstrate 1 provided with the organic electroluminescent devices 3 andthe terminal electrodes 5 connected thereto and the sealing substrate 15disposed to face this base substrate 1. The first resin material 11 isprovided between the base substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15 so asto surround the display region a in which the organic electroluminescentdevices 3 are provided and so as to dispose the peripheral region b inwhich the terminal electrodes 5 are provided outside the first resinmaterial 11. In addition, the second resin material 13 is filled in theregion surrounded by the first resin material 11 so as to seal theorganic electroluminescent devices 3.

According to the first embodiment, as described with reference to FIG.1C, the second resin material 13 is applied in the display region asurrounded beforehand by the first resin material 11. By the structuredescribed above, when the fluidity of the first resin material 11 isdecreased, the second resin material 13 is prevented from flowing intothe peripheral region b which is located outside the first resinmaterial 11. Hence, the application of the resin material can bestrictly controlled in the display region a surrounded by the firstresin material 11, and as a result, the adhesion of the resin materialto the terminal electrodes 5 disposed in the peripheral region b can beprevented.

Accordingly, since it is not necessary to cover the terminal electrodes5 with a masking tape for preventing the adhesion of the resin material,as compared to the method in which the substrates are adhered to eachother while the adhesion of the resin material to the terminalelectrodes 5 is prevented by covering them with a masking tape, thedistance between the base substrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15 canbe decreased. As a result, the thickness of the display device 17 can befurther decreased.

In addition, as described above with reference to FIG. 1A, since theorganic electroluminescent devices 3 are formed on the base substrate 1so that light is emitted from the side opposite to the base substrate 1,this light passes through the second resin material 13 and is thenemitted from the sealing substrate 15 side. In this case, as describedabove, since the distance between the base substrate 1 and the sealingsubstrate 15 can be decreased, the length of a path through which theemission light passes is decreased. As a result, the generation of colorshift which occurs at a wide viewing angle can be suppressed.

In particular, according to the procedure in which after the first resinmaterial 11 is formed using a slow-curing resin, polymerization thereofis initiated by UV irradiation to the first resin material 11, followedby application of the second resin material 13, the first resin material11 can be cured to a certain extent while the fluidity thereof ismaintained. Hence, only in the display region a surrounded by the firstresin material 11, the fluidity thereof being maintained low since thecuring proceeds to a certain extent, the second resin material 13 can bereliably applied without flowing out of the display region. In addition,in the subsequent adhesion step, the first resin material 11 canmaintain its adhesion properties.

Furthermore, a material that adheres between the base substrate 1 andthe sealing substrate 15 is composed of the two types of resinmaterials, that is, the first resin material 11 and the second resinmaterial 13. Hence, as for the first resin material 11 provided outside,a function may be primarily considered that prevents the entry ofmoisture from the outside through the interface between the basesubstrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15 and through the first resinmaterial 11. On the other hand, as for the second resin material 13, afunction may be primarily considered that maintains a transmissionfactor of 80% or more at a predetermined thickness without causing anydamage to the organic electroluminescent devices 3. Hence, the selectionranges of the resin materials used for the first resin material 11 andthe second resin material 13 can be increased. However, when an adhesivefunction to a certain extent is also conferred on the second resinmaterial 13, the display device 17 can be formed so as to have improvedmoisture resistance and high reliability.

Furthermore, since the second resin material 13 is applied in thedisplay region a surrounded by the first resin material 11, as thesecond resin material 13 covering the organic electroluminescent devices3, a resin can be used having a low viscosity as compared to that of aresin used in the past, and from this point of view, the selection rangeof the resin material can also be increased. In addition, as for thefirst resin material 11, since the polymerization thereof is initiatedby UV irradiation after the first resin material is formed byapplication, and the substrates 1 and 15 are then adhered to each other,when the first resin material 11 is formed by application, a materialhaving a low viscosity as compared to that of a resin used in the pastmay also be used for forming the first resin material 11. As a result,when the first resin material 11 is formed around the display region aby application, generation of discontinuity of the first resin material11 can be prevented, and hence a reliable sealing state of the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 provided in the display region a can beobtained.

Second Embodiment

FIGS. 4A to 4D show a method for manufacturing a display device,according to the second embodiment. The difference of the method shownin the figures according to the second embodiment from the above methodaccording to the first embodiment is that the second resin material forsealing the organic electroluminescent devices is formed from aslow-curing resin. The method of this embodiment is performed asdescribed below.

First, in a step shown in FIG. 4A, as is the case of the firstembodiment described with reference to FIG. 1A, the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 are formed in an array in the displayregion a of the base substrate 1, and the terminal electrodes 5 areformed in the peripheral region b.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4B, a first resin material 21 is formedon the base substrate 1 so as to surround one display region a in whichthe organic electroluminescent devices 3 are provided and so as todispose the peripheral region b in which the terminal electrodes 5 areprovided outside the first resin material 21. The width and the heightof this first resin material 21, which are formed by application, may besimilar to those in the first embodiment. However, the first resinmaterial 21 is not necessarily formed of a slow-curing resin and may beformed of a UV curable resin or a thermosetting resin primarily composedof an epoxy resin or an acrylic resin. In addition, as additives for thefirst resin material 21, various additives such as an inorganic filler,spacers, adhesion improver, reinforcing agent, softener, plasticizer,and viscosity controller may also be used.

As shown in FIG. 4C, in the display region a surrounded by the firstresin material 21, a second resin material 23 formed of a slow-curingresin is applied. The slow-curing resin is a resin that maintains thefluidity even after being irradiated with UV rays and is then fullycured after a predetermined time passes. As the slow-curing resindescribed above, a resin similar to that shown as the slow-curing resinforming the first resin material 11 of the first embodiment may be used.

Next, this second resin material 23 has an adhesive function as is thesecond resin material 13 of the first embodiment and is formed of aresin having a transmission factor of 80% or more after the resin iscured. In addition, a resin material having an adhesive functionpreferably has a tensile adhesive strength of 1 MPa or more or a tensileshear adhesive strength of 1 MPa or more after curing. In addition, thecoating state may be similar to that in the first embodiment.

In addition, although not shown in the figure, the temporary adhesiveresin is also applied to the end portion of the base substrate 1 as isthe case of the first embodiment.

Furthermore, the formation of the first resin material 21, the secondresin material 23, and the temporary adhesive resin are preferablyperformed in an inert gas atmosphere as is the case of the firstembodiment, and when being performed within a short period of time afterthe organic layer is formed, the formation may be performed in the air.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4D, only the second resin material 23 isirradiated with the UV rays h. By this irradiation, polymerization ofthe second resin material 23 composed of a UV curable resin (slow-curingresin) having slow curing properties is initiated. In this step, theamount of the UV rays h may not be an amount required for fully curing aresin forming the second resin material 23, and the total amount of theUV rays h and UV rays to be irradiated after the sealing substrate isadhered to the base substrate may reach the above required amount.

In addition, it is also important to adjust the amount of the UV rays hso as not to fully cure the second resin material 23 before thesubsequent adhesion step is performed, and right before the adhesion, asis the first resin material 11 in the first embodiment, the degree ofcuring is preferably 70% or less.

Subsequent steps following the above-described steps are performed in amanner similar to that described in the first embodiment with referenceto FIGS. 3A to 3D, and as a result, display devices 17′ shown in FIG. 3Dare obtained. The display device 17′ thus obtained has the basesubstrate 1 provided with the organic electroluminescent devices 3 andthe terminal electrodes 5 connected thereto and the sealing substrate 15disposed to face the base substrate 1. In addition, the first resinmaterial 21 is provided between the base substrate 1 and the sealingsubstrate 15 so as to surround the display region a in which the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 are provided and so as to dispose theperipheral region b in which the terminal electrodes 5 are providedoutside the first resin material 21, and in the region surroundedthereby, the second resin material 23 is filled so as to seal theorganic electroluminescent devices 3.

According to the above second embodiment, as described with reference toFIG. 4C, as is the case of the first embodiment, the second resinmaterial 23 is applied in the display region a surrounded beforehand bythe first resin material 21. Hence, as is the case of the firstembodiment, it is not necessary to cover the terminal electrodes 5 witha masking tape in order to prevent the adhesion of the resin material;hence, the thickness of the display device 17′ can be further decreased,and in addition, when light generated from the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 is emitted from the sealing substrate 15side, the generation of color shift can be suppressed which occurs at awide viewing angle.

Furthermore, since a material that adheres between the base substrate 1and the sealing substrate 15 is composed of two types of resinmaterials, that is, the first resin material 21 and the second resinmaterial 23 as is the case of the first embodiment, the selection rangesof the resin materials can be increased, and when an adhesive functionto a certain extent is also conferred on the second resin material 23,the display device 17′ can be formed so as to have improved moistureresistance and higher reliability.

In addition, as is the case of the first embodiment, since the secondresin material 23 is applied in the display region a surrounded by thefirst resin material 21, the second resin material 23 may be formedusing a resin material having a lower viscosity, and as a result, thesealing state of the organic electroluminescent devices 3 provided inthe display region a can be made reliable.

Third Embodiment

FIGS. 5A to 5D show a method for manufacturing a display device,according to the third embodiment. The difference of the method shown inthe figures according to the third embodiment from the above methodsaccording to the first and the second embodiments is that the firstresin material and the second resin material are each formed of aslow-curing resin. The method of this embodiment is performed asdescribed below.

First, in a step shown in FIG. 5A, as is the case of the firstembodiment described with reference to FIG. 1A, the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 are formed in an array in the displayregion a of the base substrate 1, and the terminal electrodes 5 areformed in the peripheral region b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the first resin material 11 composed of aslow-curing resin similar to that in the first embodiment is formed onthe base substrate 1 so as to surround one display region a in which theorganic electroluminescent devices 3 are provided and so as to disposethe peripheral region b in which the terminal electrodes 5 are providedoutside the first resin material 11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, as is the case of the second embodiment, thesecond resin material 23 composed of a slow-curing resin having atransmission factor of 80% or more after the resin is cured is appliedin the display region a surrounded by the first resin material 11.

Subsequently, although not shown in the figures, as is the case of thefirst embodiment, the temporary adhesive resin is applied to the endportion of the base substrate 1.

Furthermore, the formation of the first resin material 11, the secondresin material 23, and the temporary adhesive resin are preferablyperformed in an inert gas atmosphere as is the first embodiment;however, when performed within a short period of time after the organiclayer is formed, the formation may be performed in the air.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5D, the first resin material 11 and thesecond resin material 23 are irradiated with the UV rays h. By thisirradiation, polymerization of the first resin material 11 and that ofthe second resin material 23, which are formed of a UV curable resin(slow-curing resin) having slow curing properties, are initiated. Inthis step, the amount of the UV rays h may not be an amount required forfully curing the resins forming the first resin material 11 and thesecond resin material 23, and the total amount of the UV rays h and UVrays to be irradiated after the sealing substrate is adhered to the basesubstrate may reach the above required amount.

In addition, it is also important to adjust the amount of the UV rays hso as not to fully cure the first resin material 11 and the second resinmaterial 23 before a subsequent adhesion step is performed, and rightbefore the adhesion, the degree of curing of the first resin material 11and that of the second resin material 23 are preferably 70% or less asis the case described in the first embodiment.

Subsequent steps following the above steps are performed in a mannersimilar to that described in the first embodiment with reference toFIGS. 3A to 3D, and as a result, display devices 17″ shown in FIG. 3Dare obtained. The display device 17″ thus obtained has the basesubstrate 1 provided with the organic electroluminescent devices 3 andthe terminal electrodes 5 connected thereto and the sealing substrate 15disposed to face the base substrate 1. In addition, the first resinmaterial 11 is provided between the base substrate 1 and the sealingsubstrate 15 so as to surround the display region a in which the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 are provided and so as to dispose theperipheral region b in which the terminal electrodes 5 are providedoutside the first resin material 21, and in the region surrounded bythis first resin material 11, the second resin material 23 is filled soas to seal the organic electroluminescent devices 3.

According to the above third embodiment, as described with reference toFIG. 5C, as is the case of the first embodiment, the second resinmaterial 23 is applied in the display region a surrounded beforehand bythe first resin material 11. Hence, as is the case of the firstembodiment, it is not necessary to cover the terminal electrodes 5 witha masking tape in order to prevent the adhesion of the resin material;hence, the thickness of the display device 17″ can further be decreased,and in addition, when light generated from the organicelectroluminescent devices 3 is emitted from the sealing substrate 15side, the generation of color shift can be suppressed which occurs at awide viewing angle.

Furthermore, since a material that adheres between the base substrate 1and the sealing substrate 15 is composed of two types of resinmaterials, that is, the first resin material 11 and the second resinmaterial 23 as is the case of the first embodiment, the selection rangesof the resin materials can be increased, and when an adhesive functionto a certain extent is also conferred on the second resin material 23,the display device 17″ can be formed so as to have improved moistureresistance and higher reliability.

In addition, as is the case of the first embodiment, since the secondresin material 23 is applied in the display region a surrounded by thefirst resin material 11, the second resin material 23 may be formedusing a resin material having a lower viscosity, and as a result, thesealing state of the organic electroluminescent devices 3 provided inthe display region a can be made reliable.

In the above first to the third embodiments, the display device havingthe base substrate 1 and the organic electroluminescent devices 3provided thereon is described by way of example. However, the presentinvention is not limited to application of display devices using organicelectroluminescent devices but may widely be applied to display devicesusing self-luminous light-emitting devices such as inorganiclight-emitting devices.

In addition, in the above first to the third embodiments, the case inwhich the first resin material 11 (21) and the second resin material 13(23) are formed on the base substrate 1 is described. However, the firstresin material 11 (21) and the second resin material 13 (23) may beformed at the sealing substrate 15 side. In this case, when the basesubstrate 1 and the sealing substrate 15 are adhered to each other withthe first resin material 11 (21) and the second resin material 13 (23)provided therebetween so as to obtain a predetermined state in which theindividual constitute elements are positioned at predetermined places,the first resin material 11 (21) is formed at the sealing substrate 15side so as to surround the display region a formed at the base substrate1 side. Subsequently, steps other than those described above areperformed in a manner similar to that described in the first to thethird embodiments. As a result, an effect similar to that of the firstto the third embodiments can be obtained. Furthermore, in order todecrease the process time, when the first resin material 11 (21) isapplied on the base substrate 1, the second resin material 13 (23) maybe simultaneously applied at the sealing substrate 15 side, or when thesecond resin material 13 (23) is applied on the base substrate 1, thefirst resin material 11 (21) may be simultaneously applied at thesealing substrate 15 side.

In addition, in the above embodiments, the process is described in whichafter the first resin material 11 (21) is applied on the base substrate1 or the sealing substrate 15, the second resin material 13 (23) isapplied in the region surrounded by this first resin material 11 (21),and before the substrates 1 to 15 are adhered to each other,polymerization of at least one of the resin layers is initiated.However, the process described above may be optionally changed. Forexample, the second resin material may be applied before the first resinmaterial is applied, and polymerization of at least one of the resinlayers may be initiated during or after the above application.

In addition, a manufacturing device unit performing the sequential stepsdescribed in the first to the third embodiments has a dispensing device(dispenser) used for applying the first resin material 11 (21), thesecond resin material 13 (23), and the temporary adhesive resin, anadhesion device provided with a reduced-pressure chamber, a heatingdevice, a UV irradiation device, and a reduced-pressure process chamber.In addition, when the dispensing device, the heating device, and the UVirradiation device work independently of the adhesion device providedwith the reduced-pressure chamber, more precise adhesion can beperformed at a low cost. However, the adhesion step described withreference to FIGS. 3A and 3B is not necessarily performed in areduced-pressure atmosphere; however, when the step is performed in theair, areas (dark spots) at which light is not emitted are generated orthe brightness is degraded due to moisture contained in the air, it ispreferable that steps right before the adhesion step be performed atleast in an inert gas atmosphere.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occurdepending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they arewithin the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

1. A display device comprising: a base substrate with light-emittingdevices and terminal electrodes connected thereto; a sealing substratedisposed to face the base substrate; a first resin material between thebase substrate and the sealing substrate so as to surround a peripheryof a first region in which the light-emitting devices are provided; anda second resin material between the base substrate and the sealingsubstrate and filled in the first region surrounded by the first resinmaterial so as to seal the light-emitting devices, wherein, the firstresin material separates the terminal electrodes from the second resinmaterial and the light-emitting devices along the base substrate.
 2. Thedisplay device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the firstresin material and the second resin material comprises a slow-curingresin operable to maintain fluidity after radiation and be fully curedvia passage of time.
 3. The display device according to claim 1, whereinthe first resin material and the second resin material are adhereddirectly to the base substrate and the sealing substrate.
 4. The displaydevice according to claim 1, wherein the first resin material and thesecond resin material each have a thickness of 25 μm or less.
 5. Thedisplay device according to claim 1, wherein light generated from thelight-emitting devices is emitted from the sealing substrate side. 6.The display device according to claim 1, wherein a first one of theterminal electrodes, the first resin material, and the second resin aresequentially positioned along the base substrate.
 7. The display deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first resin material is spaced fromthe terminal electrodes along the base substrate.
 8. The display deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first resin material adheres the basesubstrate to the sealing substrate and includes a filler to providemoisture impermeability.
 9. The display device according to claim 1,wherein the light emitting diodes are sealed in the second resinmaterial.
 10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein thesecond resin material maintains a light transmission factor of 80% ormore.
 11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the lightemitting diodes are entirely surrounded by the substrate and the secondresin material.